I share the books I have read recently and do recommend adding them to your collection.
Hello friends! How are you? How was the weekend? I had high hopes of having fun on Halloween, but I ended up getting sick. I had to miss P’s birthday party, which was devastating, but Mum and Tom took the reins and all the children had a great time. Fortunately, I’m much better today and I’m getting an IV this morning. This weekend, I binge-watched. I have never and spent a lot of time reading in bed, which was a pleasure.
I haven’t had as much time to read lately. We’re officially in the Christmas whirlwind, and with customer test results (I love reviewing them, but it’s definitely a time commitment), the girls’ schedules, the pilot’s schedule, everything has been crazy around here. Plus, we’ve all been up a little late, and since I have to put my eye mask on before bed, it really ruins some of my reading plans lol. I’m really trying to create more reading blocks throughout the day and I’m really looking forward to traveling in November (Palm Springs and Arkansas) so I can read throughout the entire plane trip.
Something that has made it a little easier to take advantage of reading time: my kindle! I LOVE it, this one fits in my bag and I’m not tempted to scroll on my phone. It has been very convenient to carry this with me!
There have been a couple of amazing books in my life lately and I’m excited to share the details with you.
Recent books that I loved.
XOXO, Cody
If you’re going to read this book, I definitely recommend the Audible version so you can listen to it in Cody’s voice. What a treasure of a human being. I had high expectations for this one (I expected him to be very attractive) and I was not disappointed. He gives you all the laughs and warm emotions of an XO, Cody Peloton, while you dive deep into his story and his background. It was fascinating to learn about his upbringing, his relationship with his mother, dancing with the stars experience and how he became a great fitness personality. 10/10
Of Amazon:
Cody Rigsby has many opinions: Kevin is the hottest Backstreet Boy; grape jelly is a crime against nature; If you wear flip flops in New York City, you don’t love yourself. But if there is one opinion, one truth, that he holds above all others, it is that we should not let the fear of looking stupid or being judged stop us from living our best lives.
Cody didn’t always feel this way. On XOXO, Cody talks about his journey toward self-acceptance, from growing up gay and poor in the South to his migration to New York City, where he went from broke dancer to fitness icon. He intimately details what it was like to lose his father and his best friend to addiction and how he began to repair his relationship with his mother when he was an adult. He recounts his time working at a nightclub on the Lower East Side and his decision to audition for Peloton on a whim, and talks about competing against Sporty Spice on Dancing with the Stars.
With raw and inspiring stories about learning to deal with scary shit, XOXO, Cody is a bold and heartfelt reminder that sometimes laughing at yourself is the best medicine. Remember: it’s not that deep, boo.
redemptive love
*All activation warnings*
This book was recommended in a Facebook group for faith-based reading, so just a heads up, it is Christian fiction and is a retelling of Gomer and Hosea from the 19th century. As I was reading it I thought he’s not too Jesus, but then after about a quarter I thought he’s okay, he definitely is. Just wanted to spread the word if that’s not your cup of tea. I discovered that it was Jesus in the best possible way. This book will stay with me for life and is an incredible testimony to God’s unwavering love, even when we feel most broken. While it wasn’t the best writing ever and dragged on a bit before the last 25%, I’m really glad I stuck with it. 10/10 recommended.
Of Amazon:
The land of California gold, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.
Ángel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution when she was a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most about herself are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside her.Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and love her unconditionally. Little by little, day by day, she defies all of Angel’s bitter expectations, until, despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.
But with his unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And then Angel runs. Back in the darkness, far from the love of her husband, she is terrified by the truth she can no longer deny: her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael. . . The one who will never let her go.
A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, redemptive love is a life-changing story about the unconditional, redemptive and all-absorbing love of God.
Esther: God’s fingerprints
This was our fall Bible study and I learned a lot from it. As a relative newbie to the Bible, I have found it helpful to delve into different books of the Bible with such a kind, insightful, and wise group of women. I learn a lot from each session and it fills my cup all week! When I read the book of Esther before our study, I had a hard time understanding everything and didn’t know the context or historical background. The Bible studies provide a lot of context to what you are reading and allowed me to fully understand the impact of Esther and how all the pieces came together. 9/10 recommended.
Don’t forget to write
This book is my new equivalent to Nora goes off script. It’s light, fluffy, super clever and the finish is EVERYTHING. I couldn’t read this one fast enough and would love a sequel. 😉 Definitely check it out if you’re looking for a fall* read on the beach. * 10/10
Of Amazon:
When Marilyn Kleinman is caught kissing the rabbi’s son in front of the entire congregation, her parents send her to her great-aunt Ada for the summer. If anyone can save her daughter’s reputation, it’s Philadelphia’s strict chief matchmaker. Either that or Marilyn can say goodbye to college.
To Marilyn’s surprise, Ada is not the humorless septuagenarian her mother described. Not with that platinum blonde hair, that Hermès scarf and that Cadillac convertible. She’s smart, she speaks straight, she takes her job very seriously, and she abides by her own rules…mostly. As the summer progresses, Ada and Marilyn head to the Jersey Shore, where Marilyn helps Ada find eligible matches—for anyone other than Marilyn, that is.
Because if there’s one thing Marilyn learned from Ada, it’s that she doesn’t have to settle. With the school year quickly approaching and her father threatening to disinherit her, Marilyn must make a decision for her future: return to the comfortable life she knows or embark on a risky, unknown path on her own.
So, tell me friends: what have you read lately? Anything I should add to the TBR list?
xo
gina
